Finish for Walnut, Lacewood, Leopardwood

[PenTurnerJohn]

Can you please give me what has worked for you when finishing these three woods: black walnut, lacewood, and leopardwood? I'm trying to avoid white spots and a dull or spotty finish from previous attempts.

Thanks,

 

[mrcook4570]

CA works great. On these and all open-grained woods, it is very important to make sure all of the pores are sealed. Use thin CA to create a slurry while sanding with 400 grit paper to fill in the pores or multiple coats of sanding sealer. If you do not seal the pores, the white spots will show up when dust or wax collects in them.

 

[jaywood1207]

Lacquer also works great.

 

[arioux]

Hi,

A shot of compressed air between sanding grits help a lot. I use lacquer with no problem.

Alfred

 

[GaryMGg]

It also helps to burnish the wood with nothing more than its own sawdust, or more aptly, shavings between grits.

 

[tseger]

I have used FP and carnuba on all these with satisfactory results. Tim

 

[Jerryconn]

CA all the way!

 

[PenTurnerJohn]

Thanks for all the advice. I've used CA/BLO in the past but continue to have white spots. I do use compressed air in between sanding grits. Jerry, when you say "CA all the way" what do you really mean by that?

Still turning ideas,

 

[hilltopper46]

I consider myself still a newbie, so you need to consider the source... BUT, I have had nothing but trouble using CA on black walnut. I have two pens in black walnut that I have simply given several coats of BLO and after some time they definately look better than the one that I tried to finish with CA. They don't shine, but they don't look like someone threw up on them, either. The BLO does need fairly extensive drying time.

 

[PenTurnerJohn]

Thanks, Tony, for your experience with the BLO. I'd rather not have to wait for the BLO to dry. Someone else want to weigh in on the trick to using CA with black walnut?

 

[jaywood1207]

I have done the same as Stan and used CA but I also use sanding sealer first with 400 grit to fill all the pores. No problems when I do this and that goes for all open pore wood.

 

[GaryMGg]

I've done a fair amount of flatwork. I use dewaxed shellac flakes dissolved in fresh denatured alcohol for sealcoating when I finish open pore woods such as walnut. I've gotten very good results that way.
My black walnut and cherry pen has a couple of coats of such shellac followed by a CA/Oil finish and I had no problem with white spots.

I've got two oils I use with CA, neither has given me problems but one cures faster than the other. I use BLO or Walnut oil. BLO takes longer to cure -- therefore I burn my fingers more less with Walnut oil.